Carbon ion pump for removal of carbon dioxide from combustion gas and other gas mixtures

Abstract

A novel method and system of separating carbon dioxide from flue gas is introduced. Instead of relying on large temperature or pressure changes to remove carbon dioxide from a solvent used to absorb it from flue gas, the ion pump method, as disclosed herein, dramatically increases the concentration of dissolved carbonate ion in solution. This increases the overlying vapor pressure of carbon dioxide gas, permitting carbon dioxide to be removed from the downstream side of the ion pump as a pure gas. The ion pumping may be obtained from reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, thermal desalination methods, or an ion pump system having an oscillating flow in synchronization with an induced electric field.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefits of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 761,564, filed Jan. 23, 2006, and entitled, “CARBON ION PUMP FOR REMOVAL OF CARBON DIOXIDE FROM COMBUSTION GAS AND OTHER GAS MIXTURES,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.[0002]The United States Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. W-7405-ENG-48 between the United States Department of Energy and the University of California for the operation of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]1. Field of the Invention[0004]The present invention relates to a separation method and apparatus / system for cleaning of combustion gas followed by the capture and sequestering of carbon dioxide, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a water based separation method and apparatus / system for capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide from combustion gas and other mixtures.[0005]2. Description of Related Art[...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a system for removing and sequestering a predetermined amount of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from a gas that includes: a distribution means for introducing a predetermined gas; a water wash configured to produce an ionic solution, wherein the water wash is operably coupled to the distribution means; and a means operably coupled to the water wash and configured to produce an ionic concentrate in the ionic solution, wherein the carbon dioxide can be extracted and sequestered as a pure gas by increasing the overlying vapor pressure within the ionic solution.

Problems solved by technology

A major limitation to reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is the expense of stripping carbon dioxide from other combustion gases.

Without a cost-effective means of accomplishing this, the world's hydrocarbon resources, if used, will continue to contribute carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

Sulfur and nitrous oxide are removed ahead of this step because they bind so tightly to the solvent that they cannot be removed.

This is inefficient due to the energy unrecoverably lost doing work on a large volume of solvent, in addition to the mechanically complex system and the need for frequent solvent addition due to degradation.

It is a fundamentally complex and chemically-intensive process only suitable for large-scale industrial separation today and it is too expensive to contribute a globally-large removal of carbon from combustion sources.

They estimate an energy cost of approximately 35% of the power generated by a pulverized coal power plant is required for this type of carbon dioxide removal.

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